The Golden Fleece -This ldngdom ls mine for I am the rtghtful hetr. But I shall The Golden Fleece leave you tJ e wealth you took from my father. All the flelds and the herds shall be yours. I ask only the scepter and tirone which were my fattrer's." retold by Anne Terry W'hite Pellas thought fast, and hls face changed color several Umes as he spoke JASON was the rightful heir to the ttrrone of Iolcus, but there "All shall be as you wish," he said. "But I, too, have a request seemed litfle chance that he would ever sit upon it' For his uncle to make. I have been troubled by a dream. The shade of Phri:<us PeUashad seized it and driven Jason's father away. The boy hlm- has appeared to me. He has lmplored me to brlng back to Greece self had been brought up by the centaur Chiron. This kindly tJ e golden fleece of ttrat sacred ram whlch once carded hlm creature, who was half-horse, half-man, had educated many he- across the sea to Colchis and which afterwards he sacrffIced to roes irr hls cave. Under his care Jason learned all that befits a Zus. Go you lr: my stead. Brlng back to Greece that glorlous stalwart man to know. prize and put the sptrit of Phrlms at rest.' Now Pelias, the false king, was troubled by a strange oracle. When Jason heard these words, hts soul was mlghtlly stlrred. He had been told to beware of a man wearing but one sandal. For the golden fleece was the great pdze of whlch every hero Pelias turned tJle mysterious words over and over ln hls mind' in Greece dreamed. All knew that in the land of Colchts the but could make nothlng of them. And he was still worrying about golden fleece hung from an oak in a sacred grove, where €rn un- the meaning years later, when Jason, hls nephew, declded to sleeptr:g dragon guarded lt by day and by night. Jason's mind travel to Iolcus and assert hts rights. and heart were l:stantly so fllled wlth longing for tt that he dld Jason had grown lnto a tall, handsome man, and as heJour- not stop to examine hls wily uncle's reasons for proposlng the neyed along, none cor:ld help admiring him. His bright, unshorn adventure to hlm. locks hung down his neck. The sldn of a leopard he had stran$ed "I wlll go to Colchis with a band of heroes,' he agreed at once. was thrown over hls close-fitting leather tuntc. TWo broadbladed "And I wlll set the soul of Phrixus at ease." spears were in his hand. He looked so much like a god that many Thereupon Jason sent heralds to all the courts of Greece, call- he met wondered whether he might not be one of the immortals' lng for bold men who dared to sail with him. And he had Argus As he approached the city of Iolcus, Jason had to cross a mud- the Thespian bulld him a flfty-oared ship. dy rlver, and in crossing it he lost his sandal in the mud' So he ar- Hero after hero answered the call. Argus hlmself volunteered rived ln the market place of the capital wearing but one. The place to go, he who had built tJle vessel. Heracles of Tiryns, the was thronged, lbr the King wasjust then making a sacriflce. strongest man who ever llved, Joined Jason. Ia.ertes, grandson "Who can that be?" the people sald to one another, lookln$ at of 7-eus, who one day would be father of Odysseus of the many tfre handsome stranger wltJ.. wonder. "Is this perhaps Apollo come adventures, came from Argos. Orpheus, the poet and wondrous in dtsguise?" muslclan who descended lnto Hades to seek hls dead wife, Eu- But the Ktng's eyes went-as ever they did-to the stranger's rydlce, hastened from Thrace. Peleus, who would one day father feet. He saw but one sandal, and his face paled and hts heart Achllles, the great hero of the TroJan War, also c€une. And many all but stood still. others of gllttering fame hastened to lolcus, so that never before 'Who are you and what is your father's name?" the King asked had so galant a shlp's comp€rny come together. when the rltes were flnished. When all was ready, Jason made a solemn offering to the gods "I am Jason, the son of Ktng Aeson," the young man replied. of the sea. The heroes took thelr seats at the oars, and the Argo "And I have come to visit my fattter's house." weighed anchor. Dangers untold lay before the bold Argonauts. PeUas htd his fears under courteous words and trn'ited Jason But not one of the heroes lost heart. into the palace, where he entertalned his nephew royally for flve days. Then Jason said to him in a matter-of-fact way: Who can tell of all that happened before ttre Argonauts reached Colchls? It would take manv books to sav the whole. for countless 15 Anne Terry White lne uoloen rleece men haye recorded the adventures of the heroes, and each tells When the rest of the comrades heard what a fearful taskAeetes the story tn hds own way. But arrive at last they dld. It was sun- had set Jason, many offered to undertake the trial in his stead. set, and they were weary. They took down thelr salls, then But he refused them all. rowed up the river toward the capttal, and made the vessel fast. "My desttny has brought me here,' he satd, "and come what Wlth a grateful heart, Jason offered up a libation to the gods. may, I will obey it." Then, Illled wlth uncertainty about the morrow, the herois lay But now there came to them one of the Klng's grandsons, Argus down to rest. by name, whom Jason had by chance once rescued from a "My plan," sald Jason next mornlng when the heroes con_ wrecked ship. 'ls sulted together, to get the golden fleece without llghtfng, tf "Jason," he sald, "ttrere is no hope of your performlng the labor posstble. I shall ask King Aeetes for lt, and from hts own mouth my grandfather has set you. I,et me, therefore, seek the help of we shall learn what course we must take. Now remaln quletly Medea. She ls my mother's young sister, and ls a malden skllled here on the shlp, my noble comrades, while I with two olvour ln brewing maglc potlons. Hecate herself, whose priestess she number wlll go to the palace.- is, has taught her. She alone can enable you to yoke the fleqy Khg Aeetes recelved the Argonauts glraciously. AccordLeg to bulls and plow the fields of Ares." custom, he asked no quesflons unfll they were sltttng down to "We are L:deed in a sad p[ght if our safety depends on a wo- food. But he no sooner learned who they were and what thetr man,'Jason answered htm sadly. "But go to her lf you llke. I errand was than his manner changed. will not htnder you." "Not for the golden fleece but to take my scepter and my throne you have comel" he broke out ln fury. "Return to your homes Unknown to elther Jason or Argus, Medea was herself think- before I have your tongues cut out and your hands lopped offl' il:g hard how she might help the hero. For she had seen Jason "Restrain your anger, Klng Aeetes,'Jason answered courte- as he sat at her father's table and had been sttrred by hls beauty ously. "We have come for no other purpose than I have stated. and manltr:ess. Never before had she felt love for a man, but Destlny and the command of a wtcked klng prompted me to now her feellngs strove agalxst one €rnother and were stronger come. I pray you, grant our request. Glve us the golden fleece. than herself. Many thoughts flew through her mind. Reason And lf there ls any servlce we can render you as flghilng men, sald one thlng, her heart another. we shall $adly do tt." "If I do not help him, tllds noble stranger wlll surely pertsh," The l{lng frowned. Then, changlng his manner, he spoke more she sald to herself. "But shall I, then, betray my father's klng- mildly. dom and rescue an unknown forelgner that he may go home "I hold no gfudge agalnst brave men,' he sald. "But you must and become another woman's husband? Ah, but he wtll not do prove your courage. In the fleld of Ares I have two bulls whose feer that. Before I help htm he will glve me bls promlse to marry me. are of bronze and whose breath ts IIre. you must yoke ttrem and He will never deceive me or forget what I have done for hlm." plow that fleld. Instead of graln, you must sow dragon's teeth. As she sat thus thtnklng, her slster came to her. "Medea," she From them a crop of warrlors wtll sprlng up. These you must slay said, "my son Argus, whose life you knowJason saved, has sent before nlghtlirl. All this I have done myself. If you cannot do lt, I me to beg your help. Gtve t}re stranger some device, I pray, where- wlll not gve up the fleece, for lt ls butJust that the more vallant by he can overcome the bulls." man shall have it." Medea's heart laughed when she heard her slster speak, but Jason sat speechless and confused.